When the Auburn-Virginia Final Four spread opened, the Tigers were an incredibly popular underdog bet.
As Mark Gallant reported on Monday, an impressive 79% of spread tickets were landing on Auburn. For context, our database has never tracked an underdog receiving more than 59% of bets this far into the tournament (2011 Butler vs. UConn).
At the time, Auburn was listed at +5 or +5.5, depending on the book, and even with the early love for the Tigers, oddsmakers weren't willing to drop the spread. Based on how the later action has trended, that's looking like a pretty smart move.
Virginia is now a 6-point favorite across the market as late bettors have been far more keen on UVA.
The Cavaliers, who had been attracting just 21% of wagers five days ago, are up to a 38% backing, and are now accounting for 42% of actual money being wagered on the matchup. Both figures are the highest marks of the week.
If Virginia continues to rake in money leading up to the tip, another move to -6.5 would certainly be on the table.
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